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25 Beautiful Destinations in IRELAND

Ireland is a stunning country filled with dramatic landscape and beautiful countryside. Although majority of people tend to flock toward the cities such as Dublin, Belfast, and Limerick… There is soo much more to the country than it’s cities. This post focuses on must sees outside of those cities. I HIGHLY recommend you get yourself to the WEST COAST. It is where majority of the places listed below are located, and by far the most scenic coast of the country.

Here is a list of 10 places (ok it’s actually 25 places if you include bullet points) that are beautiful and you absolutely cannot miss! Each place has location & cost listed below it: ↓

*SKELLIG ISLAND

Skellig Island was by far my favorite part of Ireland. It is an island located off the southwest coast. It is accessible only by boat and you must be with somebody that has a permit to land on it. There is way too much to say about this place, so I am going to write a separate blog about it, so stay tuned for that.. when it’s ready it will be available by clicking here.

Location: Off the southwest coast.. boats leave from Caherdaniel or Port Magee

Cost: Depends which boat used. Average price to land on island is €75. Just to circle island on boat is about €35.

*SLIEVE LEAGUE

For some reason the NW is one of the least visited parts of the country and I have no idea why. Slieve League contains the highest cliffs in Ireland! Yes, even higher than the infamous Cliffs of Moher. AND they are free. I stayed in a town called Donegal while I was in that area. *TIP*-Most people park in a parking lot outside the fence, which is then a mile walk to the highest cliffs. However, the fence is just to keep livestock in and you are allowed to open the gate and drive to the cliffs as long as you close the gate after driving in. There is a portapotty and a food truck there.

Location: northwest coast

Cost: FREE

*CLIFFS OF MOHER

This is probably the most known and most visited part of Ireland for tourists. But for good reason. They are enormous and breathtaking. Literally thousands of people and lots of tour buses were there when I was there, but it didn’t matter because the trail along the top is so long with plenty of room. You may also pay around €30 for a boat tour of the cliffs and/or pay more for a boat tour of the cliffs and a trip to the Aran Islands. There is a bathroom, gift shops, food, etc. all here as well.

This is a scenic walk in a valley between 2 mountains. You can also drive the road or pay to take a horse carriage on the road, but you will get the most out of your experience by walking or biking it. The entire way is about 11km (6.8 miles) and contains 5 lakes along the way. I honestly only walked about 2 miles of it and then turned around and walked back, but it was gorgeous.

Location: southwest Ireland near Killarney

Cost: FREE to walk or drive it

*WATERFALLS

If you’re like me and love to chase waterfalls, there are 4 I went to that were beautiful and highly recommend:

Powerscourt Waterfall– Powerscourt is the highest waterfall in Ireland. But it is also the only waterfall that you have to pay to see. It costs €6 and is located less than an hour south of Dublin, near the Powerscourt Estate.

Torc Waterfall-Torc is a popular waterfall to visit. It is located near Killarney (southwest) in Killarney National Park and is free to visit.

Glencar Waterfall-This is the least known falls of the 4 I visited (there was only 1 other person there when I was there) and in my opinion, it was the most beautiful. It is free to visit and located in the northwest in County Leitrim, between the towns of Sligo & Donegal.

Glenariff Waterfall-This is the only waterfall that required a short hike to get to. Located in Glenariff National Park, in Northern Ireland. The trail was about 5km and very relaxing. The parking lot has amazing views of the mountains.

*HIKING NATIONAL PARKS

Not everyone is into hiking, I get it. But I certainly am. So I did a few hikes. The country has plenty of people walking and biking along the streets everywhere, but listed below are 3 national parks with marked trails.

BURREN NATIONAL PARK

There are multiple trails to hike here. However, there isn’t really a formal parking lot or sign so the beginning can be confusing. You park on the side of the road just before the trails. I got confused with where to park somehow ended up on the least known one through a farmers private property. This was a blessing in disguise because it was an AWESOME one. It was the purple trail and I HIGHLY recommend it. The trail had both open beautiful views, enclosed lush greenery, and plenty of farmland. The Difficulty level was easy to moderate, but very very rocky in some areas.

Connemara is a popular hiking spot. It has a large sign, big parking lot, a visitors centre, etc. There are multiple trails. One of which is super short, one that wraps around the base of the mountain, and one that climbs to the top of Diamond Hill. It is very steep, very rocky, and has no handrails. The day I did it I was extraordinarily cloudy and windy, so not many people made it to the summit, but it was a very rewarding hike!

This is a scenic 179km drive in southwest Ireland just outside of Killarney. It is filled with sheep, mountains, lookouts, coastlines, views, ancient historic buildings, landscapes, etc. Perfect for photography and for a day to escape crowds and enjoy the true beauty of Ireland’s nature.

Location: southwest ireland

Cost: FREE

*GLENIFF HORSESHOE DRIVE

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DRIVE IN IRELAND. And it’s only 9km long! It is a quiet, single lane, historic road surrounded by massive mountains. Nobody was on the road when I was there so I consistently stopped for pictures and to get out and walk on the road. It was so breathtaking.

Location: NW Ireland

Cost: FREE

*NORTHERN IRELAND

Northern Ireland has plenty to see in and of itself. Below are 4 of the most popular/beautiful places to see.